Egypt signs MoU with China’s CITIC Construction on desalination membrane plant

Egypt signed on Monday a memorandum of understanding with China’s CITIC Construction and the International Company for Petroleum and Industrial Services (Income Egypt) to develop a factory producing reverse osmosis membranes used in seawater desalination.

Under the deal, the partners will establish and run the facility under a build-operate-transfer (BOT) model to supply membranes for desalination plants across Egypt.

The agreement is part of efforts to localise the manufacturing of key desalination components as Egypt expands investment in water infrastructure to meet rising demand in coastal areas.

Minister of Housing Randa El-Menshawy said desalination is a priority for the government amid rapid urban development along Egypt’s coasts. She added that Egypt has adopted a national desalination strategy through 2050, targeting production capacity of about 9 million cubic metres per day.

El-Menshawy said local production of membranes would help reduce reliance on imports, lower operating costs, and support technology transfer, while creating specialised jobs.

She added that the project aligns with Egypt’s broader efforts to expand local manufacturing in strategic sectors under its Vision 2030 agenda.

The MoU was signed by the New Urban Communities Authority (NUCA), CITIC Construction, and Income Egypt, in the presence of senior officials from the housing ministry. CITIC Construction Chairman Yang Jianqiang attended virtually.

Jianqiang said the agreement marks the start of cooperation with Egypt and highlighted the company’s experience in desalination technologies.

Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English